The promised stock distribution could be worth about $10.7 billion, though Musk has not explained how the giveaway would be carried out.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — Elon Musk pledged Monday to give one share of SpaceX stock to “every kid in America” next year, a sweeping promise that could distribute roughly $10.7 billion worth of shares to children across the United States if it is carried out as described.
Musk announced the plan on his social media platform X after commenting on a separate stock-giving initiative from artificial intelligence company Anthropic. He offered few details about eligibility, timing or the system that would be used to transfer the shares. With about 73 million people under age 18 in the United States and SpaceX shares recently trading at $146.03, one share for each child would have a total market value of about $10.66 billion.
“I recommend giving the shares directly to the public,” Musk wrote in response to Anthropic’s announcement. He later said that next year he would give one of his SpaceX shares to every child in America and added that the effort would be “the first of many.” Musk did not specify whether the shares would come directly from his holdings, whether parents would need to enroll children or whether every minor in the country would qualify.
The pledge comes only months after SpaceX became a publicly traded company. Space Exploration Technologies Corp. priced its initial public offering in June at $135 a share, selling more than 555 million Class A shares. The stock began trading under the ticker SPCX. By Friday, SpaceX shares had closed at $146.03, according to market data cited by The Associated Press.
The federal government has also created a possible framework for large stock gifts to children. The Treasury Department announced in July that it would accept qualifying contributions of publicly traded company stock for Trump Accounts, tax-advantaged investment accounts established for minors. Treasury said approved stock may be distributed to eligible children under a donor’s instructions and applicable federal rules.
Trump Accounts can be established for eligible children who have not reached age 18, while a separate federal pilot program provides a one-time $1,000 government contribution for qualifying U.S. citizen children born from 2025 through 2028. Parents, relatives, employers and other eligible contributors can also add money to the accounts subject to federal limits. Treasury and the IRS have been developing additional rules for large philanthropic stock contributions.
It remained unclear Tuesday whether Musk intends to use Trump Accounts for his promised SpaceX distribution. He did not describe a mechanism in his public announcement, and no formal terms for the giveaway were released. The distinction matters because moving billions of dollars in stock to tens of millions of children would require decisions about eligibility, account administration, taxes and the treatment of children who do not already have investment accounts.
Musk’s pledge followed a different stock-based commitment from Anthropic. The AI company announced Sunday that, subject to shareholder approval, it would commit 5% of its shares to a new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund. Anthropic said the fund could grow as the company’s value rises and could support projects including charitable donations or direct distributions to selected groups.
The two announcements come as technology companies and their founders face growing questions about how the wealth created by artificial intelligence, private spaceflight and other rapidly expanding industries should be shared. Musk’s proposal differs from a conventional charitable donation because it would give recipients an ownership interest in SpaceX rather than directing money to a nonprofit organization.
The eventual value of any gift would depend heavily on SpaceX’s share price when the stock is distributed and afterward. A share worth about $146 today could rise or fall before children receive it. SpaceX shares have also experienced significant swings since the company’s June market debut, making the final dollar value of Musk’s pledge impossible to determine in advance.
For now, the announcement remains a pledge rather than a completed distribution. Musk has not released formal eligibility rules, a registration process or a detailed timetable beyond saying the shares would be given next year. Any final program would also have to address how tens of millions of individual shares would be transferred and held on behalf of minors.
Author note: Last updated October 20, 2026.